Chandu Borde, who was part of the playing XI in Ajit Wadekar's debut Test against the West Indies in 1966, was stunned when news about the former India skipper's death trickled in on Wednesday night. "Ajit and I were best friends. Our families used to be in touch with each other. His death is a personal loss for me. Our bonding was a unique one. We used to even pull each other's legs," Borde told mid-day from Pune yesterday.

Borde, 84, a former India captain ex-national chief selector, reckoned the Indian team got a new lease of life under Wadekar's astute leadership. "Our team's victory over WI in 1971 and later, over England, were remarkable achievements. Those wins totally changed the perception of Indian cricket."